this is optima red top #2. First one did the same thing- car was stored for the winter. Did a slow charge with my batt charger- got it up to 12v. Drove it around and parked. Next morining the batt is at 7v. What is going on here? Exact same thing happened last year after I took the car out of storage. This is the warranty replacement for batt #1. do you think I will be able to get another under warranty?

 

Optimas bahh.. I'm NEVER going to run an optima in anyhting I own ever again. I had the same problem. With an optima you have to disconnect the battery and take it out of the car and store it in a warm place if its going to sit for any length of time because once they get drained just once they are garbage. After I had my problems and replaced my optima twice in one winter I put the stock Delco back in my car after it sat for a year on the shelf in the cold garage and the car fired right up.

 

how long does the car sit? The batteries are pro-rated. The first year is a free replacement.

 

yeah they are a bunch of hype, i work at autozone and i couldnt tell you how many i have had to replace

 

Actually if charged correctly they are very good batterys. You have to completely discharge them first in order for them to charge correctly and then put on a very slow charge. Im not saying its a great thing to have to sit and wait for it to charge for atleast 8 hours but that is just how it is. Are you sure your car doesnt have a slow electrical draw on the system?It doesnt make much sense that it has happened on 2 different batterys.I have an optima in my car and it sat out in the cold all winter and mine started right up everytime for the past 3 years that i have had the battery.

 

Sounds like you have something in the car thats pulling a very small amount of current

 

THANK YOU!!!I thought I was going crazy!!!I've had to replaced my 5 times in under a year.At first I thought it was my truck possibly draining it down.But I've had in 3 of my trucks and 2 of my dad's trucks.It will work fine for about 3-4 days and then dead!Everytime it happens I would take it back to Advanced and it would a Bad cell.I finally gave up on it and still have the last one they prorated out sitting in the shop....

 

rofl, don't buy them from advance. It could be how they are storing them in their warehouse. I have 3 and not one problem with them. They are now nearly 3 years old.

Go to a place that moves batteries all the time, like a battery warehouse or just buy direct from them.

 

Mine have lasted ten years through five different vehicles must be defective users.

 

Time for a battery tender. The red tops can't handle being completely discharged.

 

Mine had this same problem. I've had it for 2 years. I had a HO alternator that gave me nothing but problems and finally returned it for a refund. here lately since I bought the 'busa, the hawk sits and after 2-3 days of sitting it won't crank. have to jump the car from the bike, which looks odd. LOL

At any rate, jumped it and took it to Advanced. They tested and it was bad. FREE 3 year replacement, so they gave me another and all is good.............so far..

BTW, I blame the HO alternator on killing the battery. that POS was nothing but problems, even returned it for another with even worse problems..

 

I had my Optima Red Top replaced under warranty after 20 months.
2nd one has been ok so far though.

Would a Yellow Top work better?

 

yes, if your using it for a high powered audio system.

 

AND your car isn't running...

 

I had foot surgery, so car sat almost a month and stock battery went dead. So I seen the optima's hold a charge longer, so I had one put in..let the car sit for a little over a week and was dead again. I have a piece of crap mini van that has the cheapest battery I could find, sits out in the weather and sometimes for 3+ weeks without drving it and it always starts up fine. I'm thinking the Camaro's alarm system puts just enough load on the battery to slowly drain it.

 

Anyone used one of these. Was thinking about trying one. Looks like it doesn't drain like the Optima.....military technology (costs more also)....$145 @ Battery Mart. I also like the orange color as it would match my stut tower brace on my 97' Anv. SS.

 

----ODYSSEY-----The military uses those at Satellite Repeating Stations..good stuff so I hear.........and I always buy batteries at a BATTERY STORE...have an optima-3 years..great battery...buying stuff from all-purpose stores is generally not the best....

 

Looks EXACTLY like a stinger gel-cell battery

 

It's funny, all the people who are having problems with the optimum batteries bought from an auto store. It's obvious they are storing them wrong. Or you guys have some current draw somewhere in the vehicle.

Battery warehouse and any strictly battery store or direct is the best way to be sure of a safe battery off the shelf.

I've been using them for years and never had an issue. Yellow top is the deep cycle battery if your running a high power audio sytem. The red is not warrantied if you are running a high power audio system with it. It's not a deep cycle battery.

Most buy the red top because it's matches their paint, lol.

Let me guess, you think your die hard battery is better?

 

another deep cycle battery. Just like optimum. The 34/78 is still a better battery. Longer reserve time, more cca and larger amp hours. At least compared to the pc1200. The pc1700 looks too large to fit under the hood, it would be like adding 1.5 batteries.